TexasCHLforum.com

OK,
So who is the acknowledged expert at building them on here? I am needing me some help. Starting with, where to start.

I'm no expert, I only built one, but I started with a plan. My plan was:
Stripped lower
Add parts kit and A2 stock
Add complete upper.
Add magazines

I am currently planning build #2 and will use the following plan:
Stripped Lower
Add parts kit
Add M$ style stock
Add stripped upper (A3 or M4) and upper parts kit
Add Barrel
Add quad rail,gas Tube, and 1913 gas block
Add Bolt, carrier, ect.
Add more magazines.

I've only built one yet as well. Have another in the works. Best place to start is AR15.com.

BrassMonkey wrote:OK,
So who is the acknowledged expert at building them on here? I am needing me some help. Starting with, where to start.

Here's a fantastic link for you. I agree with pretty much everything the guy says. I personally bought a Noveske N4.

http://forums.officer.com/showthread.php?t=81462

It's the best, most thorough guide I've seen.

I am pretty sure that somewhere on this forum there is a post with a link in it to AR15.com that specifically addresses building your own. Perhaps some persistent seaching, either here or there, will turn it up.

+1 on AR15.com.

I amin the middle of my first build. The website is a plethora of information.

FYI, I am going with:
CMMG stripped lower
DPMS Lower parts kit
Generic collapsable stock
Magpul P mag magazines
Delton complete M4 upper.

BrassMonkey wrote:OK,
So who is the acknowledged expert at building them on here? I am needing me some help. Starting with, where to start.

The basics to get started...

You can buy a complete upper and a complete lower and connect them together and you have a complete AR-15. It takes two push pins to attach the upper to the lower. Or you can buy the parts to build each section. You need special tools to build an upper but not for a lower. Most online stores sell complete uppers and complete lowers. It's cheaper if you build your own but not by much. Buying special tools eats up your savings. Plus you tend to pick out higher end parts.

The part that houses the trigger group is the lower receiver. That's the one that needs an FFL unless you buy locally. Some online stores sell "rifle kits". It's everything you need minus the lower receiver. They send you a completely assembled upper and all the parts to make your lower using your receiver. Assembling the lower is not difficult.

I bought a rifle kit from Del-ton and a lower receiver locally.

Like people said most kits come with the ypper receivers assembled and you can upgrade the parts kit with choice of handguards buttstock,bolt carrier A1 A2 A3 or A4 upper receiver,the lower is very easy to assemble you may want to assemble in a place where if a spring takes off you can find it,the worse one is the front detent spring for the takedown pin

I "built" mine in all of about 45 minutes with a pair of vice grips with electrical tape on the jaws (very important),some masking tape and a flat head screwdriver. +2 on AR15.com, there is even a video on assembling the lower receiver. My build is a Essential Arms stripped lower with a Del-Ton A2 upper and lower parts kit. About a thousand rounds through it and no problems. I suggest obtaining a stripped lower and picking up an upper kit from a vendor such as Del-Ton, there are many to choose from though.



ETA: Total cost: Around $900 including a sling, 3 20 round straight, 3 20 round curved and 3 30 round magazines.

I was going to do a credit card thing but I figured that had already been beaten to death.

Well my second build, aka the "Dark Christmas Tree" project, officially started today. It will be a carbine style build with a flattop upper featuring quad rails, 16 inch barrel, ect. On this one I plan to assemble everything on both the lower and the upper. The lower and parts kit are DPMS, and thats all I have for it at this time.

This is helpful. Thanks guys. This is gonna get expensive, isn't it?

BrassMonkey wrote:This is helpful. Thanks guys. This is gonna get expensive, isn't it?

Only if you get sucked into believing you need all the tacticool high end brand name stuff they love to talk about on ar15.com and m4carbine.net.

My first build cost just under $780 and out shoots a 1300 factory AR with a comparable (nearly identical) configuration, and mine wasn't shooting its optimal cartridge. If I had it to do over again I would give more thought on having the barrel fluted (for weight reasons). I do intend to put a good single stage match grade trigger in my first build, a more comfortable pistol grip, and maybe a different stock with a monopod (The A2 stock just isn't comfortable shooting from the prone position).

BrassMonkey wrote:Only if you get sucked into believing you need all the tacticool high end brand name stuff they love to talk about on ar15.com and m4carbine.net.

In other words, "Yes, it's gonna get expensive."

I built mine and I had no experience whatsoever. I went with a Sabre Defence stripped lower and a Del-Ton M4 carbine kit with the Rock River 2 stage trigger. I went quality stuff right off the bat and once I got started I couldn't stop. I have over $2k invested in mine but it is definitely a shooter.